Succulents and More™

When my frequent partner-in-crime Kyle and I were in Santa Barbara at the very end of January , we had the opportunity to visit San Marcos Growers (SMG), arguably the most extraordinary wholesale nursery in California, for what we thought was one last time. After 46 years in operation, SMG had closed its gates on December 23, 2025; the 23-acre property had been sold to be developed for affordable housing. (If you’re interested in learning more about SMG, its history, and its legacy, read my post from February.) I found two Google Earth/Google Streets images that show the nursery prior to August 2025 when they were still in full operation. The shade houses and growing grounds on the far side of San Marcos Road were still very much there: Prior to August 2025: shade houses and growing area on the far side of San Marcos Road still there The area with the shade houses was the first to be torn down. In November 2025 it looked like this: November 2025: area cleared for construction Ignore ...

According to estimates I found online, 20% to 30% of the documented 270+ agave species remain solitary throughout their life, while 70% to 80% produce offsets (or pups) — vegetative clones that emerge either directly from the base of the mother plant or at the end of underground runners connected to it. In most offsetting species, the pups pop up very close to the parent plant: Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’ with lots of pups However, some agaves do this: Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Excelsior’ Their pups pop up at a distance from the mother plant. The Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Excelsior’ you see in the photo above has both offsets that cling tightly to the mother and others that travel quite a way. The pup in the middle circle is about 1 foot from the mother plant, the one in top circle almost 4 feet (!) away. In fact, the pup in the top circle emerged not far from a different agave ( Agave parrasana ‘Fireball’) on the far side of the mound: Agave parrasana ‘Fireball’ at the...

My Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ is in the process of making bulbils — dozens, maybe hundreds. I was going to include a few photos in my last This and that post , but I decided to write a separate piece so I can dive a bit deeper into the mystery and marvel that are bulbils. Bulbils forming on the flower stalk of my Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ Bulbils are baby plants, genetically identical to the parent, that form directly on the flower stalk (aka inflorescence). Often they develop the beginnings of roots (called root primordia) while still attached. In nature, when the bulbil-laden flower stalk eventually falls over or the bulbils are dislodged by wind or wildlife, they quickly take root and begin growing as independent plants. Bulbils are rare in the wider plant kingdom, but some agave species (as well as most furcraeas and certain yuccas) produce bulbils as a brilliant evolutionary insurance policy. The reason is simple: Most agaves are monocarpic, meaning they flower only once at the end of thei...